1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a highly electroconductive polymer composition having shapability.
2. Prior Art
Conductive organic polymers have attracted great attention since the recent discovery that doping polyacetylene with electron acceptor or donor substances gives rise to a charge transfer formation reaction to develop high electric conduction based on electron conduction. Typical examples of the conductive organic polymer are polyacetylene, polyphenylene, polypyrrole, poly(phenylenevinylene), polyaniline, and polythiophene.
These polymers, however, are difficult to shape because they are insoluble and infusible. Films are formed by gas phase polymerization or electrolytic polymerization but the shape of such films is limited by the shape of the reactor or electrode. The films tend to be seriously degraded upon doping. These problems form a bar to be cleared prior to commercial use.
Polysilane is a very interesting polymer from the aspects of the metallic nature and electron delocalization of silicon as compared with carbon, high heat resistance, flexibility, and good thin film-forming ability. Few polysilanes are known to be conductive. An example of a conductive polysilane known to us is a doped polysilastyrene using as a dopant fluorine compounds such as SbF.sub.5 and AsF.sub.5, but the dopants are highly toxic and cumbersome to handle. See R. West et. al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 103, 7352 (1981).
It is desirable to dope with dopants which are safe and easy to handle, for example, iodine and ferric chloride. However, highly conductive polymers which are acceptable for practical use are not available at present.